Last February, Tim Federle's debut novel, Better Nate Than Ever, hit bookstores. The Dance Spirit editors were charmed by Federle's witty, authentic tale of an awkward small-town boy who dreams of making it on Broadway. And it's no wonder Federle's protagonist, Nate, was so relatable: Just like Nate, Federle moved to NYC to pursue a professional dance career on the Great White Way. He danced in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Gypsy and The Little Mermaid on Broadway, and worked on the choreographic team of Billy Elliot: The Musical before switching his focus to writing. To celebrate Better Nate Than Ever's sequel, Five, Six, Seven, Nate!, DS asked Federle to tell us about his transition from dancer to novelist. We'll let Tim take it from here. —Rachel Zar